Comments on: LOTRO: The Shpiel Of Mirkwood http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/11/12/lotro-the-shpiel-of-mirkwood/ Mon, 13 Feb 2012 18:00:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Matin http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/11/12/lotro-the-shpiel-of-mirkwood/#comment-369109 Matin Wed, 02 Dec 2009 13:48:29 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=21071#comment-369109 I played Turbine designed Ascheron's Call (AC) many years ago. I actually played AC for 2.5 years. Since then I've played WWIIOL, WoW, SWG, PotBS, EVE, AoC, and Warhammer OL, but at most for a year or so. I've now played LOTRO for 11 months and I've went ahead and bought the lifetime subscription. I would not have bought the lifetime subscription if I was not confident that I will play this game for many years. You can play the game solo from 1-60 without any issues. Some classes are better at being solo, but you can make do with practically any character. I know that some people think that playing a MMORPG solo doesn't make sense. However, I've always found that I like a game that supports me playing by myself and getting something done. AC was great since solo was widely supported. AC2 and DDO sucked because solo play was not supported. At the same time, LOTRO provides a group experience that is actually different than the solo experience. When leveling solo, I normally skip the epic story line. My static group of 6 characters (ie. full fellowship) meets every Sunday and Wednesday night. My group night characters does every epic quest and every instance in the game. I'm also in a large kin that does big raid instances. Each experience, solo, group, and raid is a bit different. You can follow this theme through to the new Mirkwood Skirmish system. Solo and group adventures are both supported. An important feature is the lore available from the Tolkien books and writings. I read Lord of the Rings back in the 70s and re-read the series when I started playing LOTRO. Actually, all of Tolkein's writings are fair game. Although the Fellowship of the Ring went right, Mirkwood is taking us left towards the territory of the Hobbit. As you play through, you stumble on bits you recognize from the books. The Trolls turned to stone in the Hobbit, Elrond and the Last Homely House, etc... Instead of spending time and energy working on the lore, the developers get to mine the lore for game design. I think this makes the game design task somewhat easier. I don't want to paint too rosey a picture. The crafting system is tedious. You spend way too much time farming. Doing the end game instances without a big kin or a dedicated group of players is way too tough. However, all in all I think Turbine hit a home run with LOTRO. I'm looking forward to what the future holds. I played Turbine designed Ascheron’s Call (AC) many years ago. I actually played AC for 2.5 years. Since then I’ve played WWIIOL, WoW, SWG, PotBS, EVE, AoC, and Warhammer OL, but at most for a year or so. I’ve now played LOTRO for 11 months and I’ve went ahead and bought the lifetime subscription. I would not have bought the lifetime subscription if I was not confident that I will play this game for many years.

You can play the game solo from 1-60 without any issues. Some classes are better at being solo, but you can make do with practically any character. I know that some people think that playing a MMORPG solo doesn’t make sense. However, I’ve always found that I like a game that supports me playing by myself and getting something done. AC was great since solo was widely supported. AC2 and DDO sucked because solo play was not supported.

At the same time, LOTRO provides a group experience that is actually different than the solo experience. When leveling solo, I normally skip the epic story line. My static group of 6 characters (ie. full fellowship) meets every Sunday and Wednesday night. My group night characters does every epic quest and every instance in the game. I’m also in a large kin that does big raid instances. Each experience, solo, group, and raid is a bit different. You can follow this theme through to the new Mirkwood Skirmish system. Solo and group adventures are both supported.

An important feature is the lore available from the Tolkien books and writings. I read Lord of the Rings back in the 70s and re-read the series when I started playing LOTRO. Actually, all of Tolkein’s writings are fair game. Although the Fellowship of the Ring went right, Mirkwood is taking us left towards the territory of the Hobbit. As you play through, you stumble on bits you recognize from the books. The Trolls turned to stone in the Hobbit, Elrond and the Last Homely House, etc… Instead of spending time and energy working on the lore, the developers get to mine the lore for game design. I think this makes the game design task somewhat easier.

I don’t want to paint too rosey a picture. The crafting system is tedious. You spend way too much time farming. Doing the end game instances without a big kin or a dedicated group of players is way too tough. However, all in all I think Turbine hit a home run with LOTRO. I’m looking forward to what the future holds.

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]]> By: ThElderGod http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/11/12/lotro-the-shpiel-of-mirkwood/#comment-363506 ThElderGod Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:22:52 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=21071#comment-363506 I played this MMO last summer, and I decided to download the free trial over the weekend. I waited at leas 10 hours for the download but it was well worth it. Lots of things had changed since I last played. First and foremost upon entering, the graphics were great, and it ran smoothly on my machine. Now, myself being a multiplayer guy went out and made a couple of friends who started around the same time as me. All it takes is the will to go out and find people your level, and where you are story wise or even just interested in doing the same things in game. I had no problem finding a fellowship to the Epic Quests at all. The interface is perfect too. There are plenty of things to do in the game, and I've already wasted hours playing music and crafting. I played this MMO last summer, and I decided to download the free trial over the weekend. I waited at leas 10 hours for the download but it was well worth it. Lots of things had changed since I last played. First and foremost upon entering, the graphics were great, and it ran smoothly on my machine. Now, myself being a multiplayer guy went out and made a couple of friends who started around the same time as me. All it takes is the will to go out and find people your level, and where you are story wise or even just interested in doing the same things in game. I had no problem finding a fellowship to the Epic Quests at all. The interface is perfect too. There are plenty of things to do in the game, and I’ve already wasted hours playing music and crafting.

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]]> By: Brent http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/11/12/lotro-the-shpiel-of-mirkwood/#comment-356080 Brent Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:33:45 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=21071#comment-356080 I agree. In this, in WoW and in other games I've seen, the line between the world, a cold and static - dare I say <i>lifeless</i> - environment, and that of characters, which themselves only change superficially, was ultimately the most discouraging aspect. It shouldn't have had to be that way. Granted, there is only so much that you could allow players to change when working with a very well-established and detailed world like Middle Earth, but even small things would have been nice. It feels like a theme park. Each quest is a ride. You can even go back on some rides (the epic quests, using the reflecting pools). Everything gets perfectly restored to how it was previously, shortly after you leave. I'm not specifically critiquing LoTRO for this. They tried, with player housing, but it didn't work. The need to walk through portals to find your stamped-out neighbourhood, which never had anyone else in it, leeched any sense of multiplayer out of it. Beyond that, there was crafting and the general economy, which comes down to spreadsheets. I think the auction system is a horrible immersion killer. Though the gold spammers don't help. I agree. In this, in WoW and in other games I’ve seen, the line between the world, a cold and static – dare I say lifeless – environment, and that of characters, which themselves only change superficially, was ultimately the most discouraging aspect. It shouldn’t have had to be that way.

Granted, there is only so much that you could allow players to change when working with a very well-established and detailed world like Middle Earth, but even small things would have been nice.

It feels like a theme park. Each quest is a ride. You can even go back on some rides (the epic quests, using the reflecting pools). Everything gets perfectly restored to how it was previously, shortly after you leave. I’m not specifically critiquing LoTRO for this.

They tried, with player housing, but it didn’t work. The need to walk through portals to find your stamped-out neighbourhood, which never had anyone else in it, leeched any sense of multiplayer out of it.

Beyond that, there was crafting and the general economy, which comes down to spreadsheets. I think the auction system is a horrible immersion killer. Though the gold spammers don’t help.

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]]> By: Konky Dong http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/11/12/lotro-the-shpiel-of-mirkwood/#comment-355710 Konky Dong Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:26:37 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=21071#comment-355710 If you're interested, here is the link to the developer blog talking about making the epic book quests soloable: http://my.lotro.com/orion/2009/11/04/problems-and-solutions-1/ If you’re interested, here is the link to the developer blog talking about making the epic book quests soloable:

http://my.lotro.com/orion/2009/11/04/problems-and-solutions-1/

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]]> By: Konky Dong http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/11/12/lotro-the-shpiel-of-mirkwood/#comment-355707 Konky Dong Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:23:37 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=21071#comment-355707 The combat upgrade is one of the main things I'm looking forward too in the expansion. The biggest problem with the combat right now (especially for melee classes) is that your skills wait until your character completes an auto-attack animation before they go off. In the combat upgrade, all skills will interrupt auto-attack and will cast or start casting instantly. The combat upgrade is one of the main things I’m looking forward too in the expansion. The biggest problem with the combat right now (especially for melee classes) is that your skills wait until your character completes an auto-attack animation before they go off. In the combat upgrade, all skills will interrupt auto-attack and will cast or start casting instantly.

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]]> By: Jeremy http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/11/12/lotro-the-shpiel-of-mirkwood/#comment-355299 Jeremy Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:29:16 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=21071#comment-355299 All of these are the reasons why I had to hang up my MMO hat. I want to be able to impact the world in a real way. Imagine an mmo where the things you did actually mattered! All of these are the reasons why I had to hang up my MMO hat. I want to be able to impact the world in a real way. Imagine an mmo where the things you did actually mattered!

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]]> By: Tide of the Wind http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/11/12/lotro-the-shpiel-of-mirkwood/#comment-355286 Tide of the Wind Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:19:58 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=21071#comment-355286 I'm interested in the 'more responsive combat' line. While LOTRO has a gorgeous world, great story, quest text that's interesting and amusing book quests I've always found the combat incredibly stiff. If they made it better I may be interested in picking up both Moria and Mirkwood. I’m interested in the ‘more responsive combat’ line. While LOTRO has a gorgeous world, great story, quest text that’s interesting and amusing book quests I’ve always found the combat incredibly stiff.

If they made it better I may be interested in picking up both Moria and Mirkwood.

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]]> By: cjlr http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/11/12/lotro-the-shpiel-of-mirkwood/#comment-355173 cjlr Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:09:09 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=21071#comment-355173 Now, if <i>all</i> of them hit the same walls there... ... couldn't they just all team up? Now, if all of them hit the same walls there…
… couldn’t they just all team up?

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]]> By: Heinz2001 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/11/12/lotro-the-shpiel-of-mirkwood/#comment-355153 Heinz2001 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:34:10 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=21071#comment-355153 Eve is just an Excel Sheet with great Graphics. Don't understand me wrong, Eve is a living World, but it's sci-fi and i don't wanna talk to SpaceShips ;-) Eve is just an Excel Sheet with great Graphics. Don’t understand me wrong, Eve is a living World, but it’s sci-fi and i don’t wanna talk to SpaceShips ;-)

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]]> By: Malibu Stacey http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/11/12/lotro-the-shpiel-of-mirkwood/#comment-355094 Malibu Stacey Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:56:04 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=21071#comment-355094 <a href="http://www.eveonline.com/" rel="nofollow">Hi there!</a> Hi there!

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]]> By: Konky Dong http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/11/12/lotro-the-shpiel-of-mirkwood/#comment-355064 Konky Dong Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:03:03 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=21071#comment-355064 The quest in question is now a solo quest, and the epic quests after that (which are about 8 or 9 levels after that one) are getting completely revamped in the expansion. A lot of the early game group quests have been reworked into solo quests, I just leveled a burglar to lvl 22 without ever being in a group and I did every quest I could find. The quest in question is now a solo quest, and the epic quests after that (which are about 8 or 9 levels after that one) are getting completely revamped in the expansion. A lot of the early game group quests have been reworked into solo quests, I just leveled a burglar to lvl 22 without ever being in a group and I did every quest I could find.

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]]> By: megaman http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/11/12/lotro-the-shpiel-of-mirkwood/#comment-355058 megaman Fri, 13 Nov 2009 11:56:04 +0000 http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=21071#comment-355058 I guess I could be happy playing this, just like most other MMOs, but I refrain from it because I know that basically it's all about the grinding after a certain stage. When the first MMO comes out that is NOT about grinding, where you can just advance by doing things that are fun and fit into the character/world backstory, I will no longer have any reason to do this thing they call real life. I guess I could be happy playing this, just like most other MMOs, but I refrain from it because I know that basically it’s all about the grinding after a certain stage. When the first MMO comes out that is NOT about grinding, where you can just advance by doing things that are fun and fit into the character/world backstory, I will no longer have any reason to do this thing they call real life.

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